


When you Tell the Truth you can Forget the Lies

by cathyelisabeth1



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Cheesy, Cliche, Confessions, Cute, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Larry Stylinson Is Real, Like ridiculously cliche, Love Confessions, M/M, Magic, Potions, Rants, Romance, Sap!Harry, Sappy Ending, Truth Serum, friends to strangers to lovers, it's so cheesy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-02
Updated: 2015-04-02
Packaged: 2018-03-20 21:42:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3666255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cathyelisabeth1/pseuds/cathyelisabeth1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'“Maybe he has to tell the truth!” Niall shouts, even though he was only sat on the other side of Louis. “Like maybe he’s been drugged.” They had been brain storming for ten minutes now and, despite the abnormality of Niall’s suggestion, it seemed like the most valid theory yet.'</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Or the one were Harry can't lie and ends up ranting at Louis about love and a metaphorical window.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When you Tell the Truth you can Forget the Lies

Louis is awoken at about 5am by the alarm on his phone. He hates mornings with a passion, a very strong, very sleepy passion. Unfortunately, one of the wondrous perks of being a member of an extremely successful boyband is getting the pleasure of partaking in weekday, morning interviews on cheesy, breakfast shows. They are set to be on Good Morning Britain this morning at 7:50 and Louis couldn’t be any less bothered if he tried.

He pulls himself up, reluctantly, and swings his legs so his toes brush the carpeted floor. All he can do now is attempt to think on the bright side of this situation. At least he gets to see Harry today, and the rest of the boys as well, obviously, but he hasn’t seen Harry in what seems like forever.

This is their first week back to work after a 2 week, post-tour break. It was well needed but, unfortunately, Harry went home to see his mum whilst Louis stayed in London.

He and Harry used to be so close. Back before Larry-gate. They were the best of friends since the day they met, or as Harry put it: friends at first sight. Louis can’t help but wish for more though. He knows he shouldn’t and he knows that Harry doesn’t feel that way about him. If he’s honest, he knows him well enough to think that Harry has never truly felt that way about anyone.

To begin with everything was easy, but then Modest! said they had to hold back a bit. It was tough at first to just stop the frequent touching and friendly-ness. Louis found himself craving it after only a day. It was then that Harry made the decision to move out, then Louis got a girlfriend and then Harry kept going with his string of lovers; their strong bond long forgotten by the both of them.

That was until Harry came out as bi. That made Louis think about the past situation more. It made him think about Harry more. It made him realise how stupidly in love he truly was. He broke up with his girlfriend and tried to fix his relationship with Harry but it didn’t really work. That was a year ago now and Louis is left hopelessly pining for a guy whom he’s not even sure he is friends with anymore.

He makes his way to the kitchen to grab some cereal and proceeds to get completely distracted by a rerun of Jeremy Kyle. When he finally looks up to the clock it’s already 6 and his car is coming at 20 past to pick him up and take him to the ITV building.

‘Shit.’ Louis mutters before running back to his bedroom to finish getting ready.

 

 

They were all sat on a long, yellow sofa, not quite big enough for all five of them. Hair and make-up complete and looking dashing as always, a Liam sized gap between himself and Harry has been subtly achieved:  big enough to satisfy managements concerns but not so big that he feels he should still miss the curly haired lad.

About 5 minutes before the hosts come to talk to them. A rather short girl with red hair walks towards them, struggling to balance 5 glasses of water on a tray.

“Hi, I’m Robyn. Just thought you might want some water before the interview.” She says politely, even if her speech sounds rehearsed.

They all reply in a chorus of ‘thank you’s before the call is made that there are only a few minutes until air time, so the two hosts make their way over to the opposite couch.

Hurriedly, the girl places the glasses in front of them, giving Harry his first. _Why is Harry always the favourite?_ Louis thinks to himself, turning to see Harry downing almost the entire thing, obviously trying to wet his voice so he doesn’t sound too gruff from the early start. Louis takes a quick sip as well before reaching forward to place the tall glass on the table.

 

 

The interview is only about ten minutes long, and so far it seems to be going pretty smoothly. The hosts are really friendly and Louis even knows one of them from a football programme he was on a few months ago. The woman seems nice too, she’s bubbly and the questions she asks are different and quirky so it’s good fun. Well, as fun as it can be before 8am. The novelty soon wears off though as the woman turns to Harry.

“So, Harry, Would you ever date a fan?” She says it with a smirk, knowing that she probably shouldn’t have asked that. Louis knows that she won’t get much of an answer though as for questions like this, they have been prepped from day one on how to answer them in a civilised manner. He’s taken off guard by what comes next.

“No, but I would definitely sleep with one if they were hot enough. In fact, I think I did the other week actually, can't quite remember but I woke up with one in my bed after a night out with Grimmy. Her name was like Cathy or something, as I said, it’s still quite fuzzy.” The words seem to just fall out of his mouth like he doesn’t have any boundaries at all. All the others turn to look at him in shock. They know Harry has never been one to hold back on sharing his personal life with the world but this has left them with their jaws scrapping the floor.

 Louis can’t believe what he has just heard. He gets that Harry shouldn’t have said that on live tv but his mind is focusing on something else. _Harry is still sleeping with random girls, AND partying with Grimmy._ He can feel a burning flare in his stomach as he tries to refrain from grabbing Harry’s shoulder from where his arm is placed around Liam, and for the first time in a while he doesn’t care about the Tumblr speculation about his quite obviously ‘jealous boyfriend’ reaction; because right now, he wishes that statement was true.

The Interviewers look just as shocked by the answer as the band, before continuing with an awkward laugh into the next question.

“How do you feel you work together as a group then? Like are there many arguments or disagreements?”

Liam, very quickly, steps in first on this one. There is always one question in an interview that management set up to clear up any rumours. They then always give Liam an answer to rehearse and recall. The only thing Louis can think of that this question will be addressing is speculation that he and Harry have fallen out over ‘Larry Stylinson’, but that has been going on for almost a year now.

Liam dives straight in with his huge speech (that should really be described as a rant). Louis zones out after Liam mentions something about all the laughs they have whilst recording, daydreaming about a life where that is actually the truth, only to come back into reality to hear Liam conclude.

“And fans always speculate about fall outs between us and say we hate each other just because they have seen us acting differently on stage or in an interview.” He smiles as if he is proud of himself for reeling off so many lies in one go.

Louis knows he has to nod in agreement and looks to the other to check they are doing the same when Harry speaks up again.

“But to be fair, some people just grow apart.”

The way Liam looks at him after that comment can only be described as ‘the look of death’. Louis has only seen him use it once before and even then it wasn’t this scary. That video wasn’t live and Harry was just joking about with the host, whereas this time what he said was the cold, hard truth.

 

 

It’s not long until the interview is wrapped up and the boys are being ushered back into a far room of the ITV building.

Louis knows what’s coming; he just doesn’t understand why they have to be in the room while it happens. Every time they just stand there and watch as a guy from their management team rips Harry to shreds and looks at them as if he is expecting the four of them to back him up and join in. Occasionally one of them does but Louis just has to stop himself from running and hugging harry until both of them stop the tears forming in their eyes.

“Why do you always do this? You always cause so many rumours than aren’t necessary! Start the speculation that makes us lot tear our hair out trying to come up with ways to fix it and now you’ve gone and ruined that too!”

Harry seems to be shaking a bit more than usual. Recently he has been better at handling it because he doesn’t seem to care anymore, but today he looks terrified.

“I didn’t mean to” He whispers, almost too quietly to be heard. And okay, this is new. Harry never speaks back to anyone at modest! He cares too much about his career to get into an argument.

“What do you mean you ‘Didn’t mean to’?” Now it’s Liam stepping forward, blatantly annoyed about his ruined speech (rant).

“I mean,” Harry stumbles over his words for a moment and pauses, like he is trying to think of a way to explain himself, “I mean I didn’t want to say those things. I just thought them and then they spilled out of my mouth.”

The whole room goes silent for a moment, taking in what Harry just said. Louis can’t help but wonder what Harry was thinking that would do to help. It has got to be the worst excuse he has ever heard but he knows that Harry feels helpless right now and he can’t stand seeing him like this.

“It’s not like anything he said wasn’t true.” He’s spoken before he even had time to register his thought process, but once the words are in the air Louis feels quite satisfied. That feeling is made all the more prominent by the thankful look he gets off Harry before the shouting starts all over again.

 

 

It’s a good hour and a half later by the time they are allowed to return home. The paparazzi have built up a good amount outside and the fans are flooding every single exit so their security has to pick one at random and help them make a break for it.

As always, Niall suggests stopping to take a few photos with the waiting fans and spends a good ten minutes pleading with Paul to let them.

Reluctantly, Paul agrees to the request and before he knows it, Louis is being grabbed at by a bunch of screaming 13 year old girls whilst their parents wait patiently a few metres behind.

He signs a few autographs and takes a few pictures but a lot of the girls appear to be crowding around Harry for obvious reasons, surrounding his comments in the interview that morning.

Louis make his way over and the closer he gets the more he notices the strained expression on Harry’s face and as he gets closer again the situation seems even more bizarre. Harry looks to be insulting a fans choice in shoes and is using phrases Louis knows should not be coming out of the, groups labelled, ‘womanizer’s mouth.

“They’re just a bit out of style is all.” Is last thing Louis hears before he stops listening all together, distracted by the boy himself.

Harry has grown a lot in the past four years and Louis hasn’t really stopped to think about it until now. His eyes are still the same bright green orbs he’s always known but the frame to them has matured. He’s not that little boy who stumbled through an apology in the boot camp bathrooms; He’s a grown man. A very hot, sexy man. He has his hair pulled back into a bun because Louis is sure he hasn’t had it cut in a good year.

He doesn’t know whether it’s his mothering-style senses or just how well he knows Harry, but he can tell he needs saving. So that’s just what Louis does, walking quickly to Harry’s side and placing his hand on the small of Harry’s back and feels him physically tense up from his touch.

They haven’t been this close to each other in forever and Louis had forgotten about the tingling he feels in his fingertips that used to be a familiar sensation. Harry feels like he is burning and Louis regains the rest of his senses in time to hear another comment fly from Harry’s bitten lips.

“Look, you’re like 12? And I’m pretty sure you’re classed as obese so if I were you I’d go on a diet and try chat up guys my own age.” _Ouch, that was harsh._ Louis wonders what has gotten into the younger lad, and as Harry slaps his hand over his mouth and starts a long string of apologies aimed towards the crying girl he only becomes more curious.

“You alright Haz?” he whispers into the bottom of Harry’s ear. _Christ, when did he get so tall?_ The pet name doesn’t really feel appropriate but the formality of Harry’s full name doesn’t feel right coming out of his mouth at all. It never has.

Harry jumps at the breath ghosting his neck and turns to Louis leaning more into his touch.

“I really don’t want to be here,” Harry mummers, which is strange because for as long as he has known Harry he has always loved talking to fans, and he has definitely never been so rude to them. Something was extremely wrong. Louis moves to speak again when a fan interrupts him.

“I thought you two hated each other?” She blurts out rather loudly. The rest of them obviously want to know the answer as well because suddenly they all go silent and look at the two of them.

“Well I definitely don’t hate Louis.” Harry replies, bitterly, making Louis pull his arm back because that sounded like Harry thinks Louis hates him which Louis certainly does not, quite the opposite actually.

Louis stops to think for a moment. Harry has been acting really, really strange all day, saying the most out of character things. He thinks back to earlier that morning and how Harry said he couldn’t help it, how he didn’t mean to say those things they just slipped out. Maybe he was telling the truth. Everything else Harry had said that morning had been truthful, why couldn’t that be?

He places his hand back on Harry’s lower back and quickly turns them both around “Let’s get you out of here, yeah?” That only reply he gets is a slight nod and a tight grip to the bottom of his t-shirt. There is definitely something up. They haven’t acted like this since 2013.

 

 

The car is driving quite fast but it will still take them another 40 minutes to get back to Louis’ flat, maybe even longer in the current London traffic. Harry is sat next to him, still gripping the corner of his top refusing to let go.

“Maybe he has to tell the truth!” Niall shouts, even though he was only sat on the other side of Louis. “Like maybe he’s been drugged.” They had been brain storming for ten minutes now and, despite the abnormality of Niall’s suggestion, it seemed like the most valid theory yet.

“Don’t be stupid Niall,” Liam is the first to reply. He seems really rather pissed off with the situation, “That’s not even possible!”

“Well, we will find out,” Niall says leaning around Louis to look Harry in the eyes. “Harry? Did you eat my last cupcake in the tour bus last year?” Of course that would be the first thing Niall thinks to ask, nothing important or anything.

Harry shakes his head but the words that come out of his mouth contradict him. “Yes” The statement is quickly followed by his free hand slapping across his face to cover his lips. Louis has been sitting quietly throughout the entire conversation too focused on Harrys radiating heat and how easy it would be to slot his head into his shoulder; how well it looks like it would fit.

“I knewwww it!” Niall sing-songs, looking so pleased with himself for solving the on-going mystery.  He pauses for a second before looking back at Harry and continuing, “Maybe it was that Wren girl! You know the one who brought us water?”

“I’m pretty sure her name was Robyn.” Zayn pipes in.

“It doesn’t matter, what matters is that Bird-Girl drugged Harry!” The Irish lad is getting way too into this theory, but as Louis thought earlier, it kind of seems feasible.

He feels like it is his turn to finally speak, “Whatever’s wrong with Haz I think he should come back to mine for a bit,” He looks around at all the boys expressions. They seem startled by his sudden need to baby Harry all over again so Louis starts to explain his reasoning. “You know, just so he can stay out of trouble. That a good idea?” He speaks the last bit quietly, turning slightly towards Harry in time to see him frantically nodding his head. “Okay, good” _just like old times_. He decides to keep the last bit to himself.

 

 

They got dropped off at Louis’ flat a good half hour ago and they haven’t even spoken to each other yet other than Louis’ refused offer for a cup of tea. The silence is tense and awkward and Louis is getting more frustrated as the seconds tick by.

“What happened?” He blurts out, “We used to be so close and before I knew it we weren’t.” his question hangs in the air for a few moments. It gets to the point when Louis has given up hope of an answer when Harry finally speaks up from the opposite end of the long couch.

“You got distant. Every time I tried to talk to you you’d give me a blunt answer and turn away, I thought you hated me. That when I got older you didn’t feel you had to baby sit me anymore.” Louis tenses as he sees the tears forming in Harry’s eyes. Even though he was expecting the truth he didn’t think the answer would be that bad. He didn’t think the truth was that bad.

“I thought you had grown out of me,” Louis mummers, if Harry had to be honest then the least Louis could do was join him. “I was still so childish and immature and it was like I blinked and you were suddenly this grown man having girls falling at his feet that was embarrassed by his goofy best friend.”

Harry blinks at him a few times obviously mulling over the words Louis had just said. “I didn’t want any of those girls though. I just wanted you”

That was not what Louis was expecting. He snaps his gaze back up to Harry to see his shocked expression. Obviously, that wasn’t what Harry was expecting to say either.

“What do you mean? Like you still wanted to be my friend?” Louis knows he’s taking advantage of Harry’s current truthfulness, reaching out and grapping on to any opportunity he can to find out how Harry feels about him, what Harry thinks of him.

“I’m in love with you Louis, always have been. That day in the bathroom when you asked for my autograph, I was so mesmerised by you that I offered to take a photo as well just so I could prove you existed later that day. I kept looking at it feeling like a hopeless idiot because I wouldn’t see you again. Then I was put in a freaking band with you. It felt like a dream come true, only my dreams weren’t this reality, they were a different version of it where you and I were together. I’ve never stopped feeling like this Louis, always thought there was a small chance that you felt the same but that went out the metaphorical window years ago. Then I go and get drugged up and now I can’t even lie and I’m ranting at you about my feeling and there is no point in even trying to hide it anymore.” It all seems to come out in one breath; he finishes with one long intake of air which makes Louis realise he stop breathing too.

Harry loves him. Harry has always loved him. Harry has just told him he loves him and he is frozen. He can’t actually move from his spot on the couch. He fish mouths for a few seconds before Harry continues.

“The funny thing is, I know I should be saying ‘it’s fine if you don’t feel the same’ but in all honesty,” He huffs out a bit off a laugh at what he just said because he can’t be anything but honest right now. “I won’t be able to take the rejection; I’m too attached to the idea of an ‘us’ that knowing you don’t feel the same will break me. And now I’m just guilting you into it.”

Louis still can’t speak. It’s like the three words he needs are being dangled in front of him but he can reach them.

“I should just go.” Harry whispers, mostly to himself. The movement of the sofa, suggesting that Harry has stood up, is enough to break Louis out of his daze.

“Wait.” He says grabbing Harry’s wrists. He wishes he was also drugged at this point because it would make speaking so much easier. “I-I,” _God damn it Louis pull yourself together._ “I love you too Haz.”

Harry glances back at him, tears now rolling freely down his face. “Don’t, Lou, I don’t need your pity.”

Louis can’t think of anything to say so he doesn’t say anything at all. He rises to his feet and takes the one step towards Harry. They’re so close Louis can feel the air as it leaves Harry’s lungs, can see each bite mark in his lip, and can smell the scent of the boy he has always loved.

They stay like that for a moment before louis builds up the courage to raise his eye line to Harry’s eyes only to find them staring right back at him. He feels so exposed, as if Harry can see right into his soul, see all his secrets and see through all the lies he has told. He risks a glance down at Harry’s mouth and sees it is closer than it was before but not nearly close enough.

Louis leans up on his toes until he can feel Harry’s lips brushing against his own, sending a shiver down his spine. He offers a small smile as he closes his eyes and feels Harry crash their lips together not wasting a single moment longer.

The kiss is so much more than Louis has ever imagined, so much better than the thoughts he has racing through his mind on a daily basis. It’s not like magical kisses are described in books or the fanfiction he reads online late at night. Harry doesn’t taste of chocolate or cupcakes or strawberries, he just tastes of Harry, smells like Harry, feels like Harry which is so, so much better. There are no fireworks going off in his mind, only a sense of relief. Explosions are sudden and immediate but he doesn’t feel rushed. He can take his time because he knows they have forever. He knows this is the first of many.

They pull apart slowly but they stay close, lips still touching slightly and eyes meeting once again as Louis goes to speak. “I told you, I love you Haz.”

“I love you so much Lou.” He replies and Louis will never get bored of it hearing that.

“I wonder if the drugs will ever wear off because I like an honest Harold” Louis whispers with a smirk before leaning in again for another kiss.

Harry pulls away from this one “I’m in love with Niall.”

“You better fucking be joking right now” Louis says, completely panic stricken because _Harry can only tell the truth now. Can’t he?_

“Of course I am you idiot, just wondering if I still had to tell the truth or whether it had worked”

Louis glares at him because he should not be allowed to worry him like that. Not after he has put his heart on the line for the first time since he can remember. “What had worked?” He finally says after finishing with his death glare.

“True loves kiss of course.” Harry says accompanied with a cheesy doe eyed grin.

“You’re such a sap.” Louis coos

“Yeah but I’m you’re sap.” Harry whips back.

Louis’ smile gets even wider “Point proven.” He whispers before diving back at Harry for another heated kiss.

Yeah, he could definitely get used to this.


End file.
